Don't abandon offsite backups

With the backlash against the cloud, don't keep all your backups in the one basket.

Last week I decided to rethink my online backup strategy, considering that online storage is now much more affordable than it was a few years ago when I first starting backing up to the cloud. Initially I was rather frugal with what I uploaded, but these days it's feasible to upload pretty much everything.

I understand the privacy backlash against the cloud and why some people want to avoid it on principle. Personally I think the risk of losing my family photo albums outweighs my concerns over the NSA snooping through our holiday happy snaps, but some people don't see it this way and that's fair enough.

If you're really worried about security there's always the option of specifying your own cloud encryption key or simply encrypting files before you upload them. This way not even your cloud storage provider can read them, at least in theory.

Of course with a personal encryption key there's an extra risk of losing those photos, whether you forget the password or simply fail to share it with your loved ones before you get hit by the proverbial bus. Once again you need to decide if the thought of someone snooping through your files is worse than the thought of losing them forever.

The reader comments on last week's post highlighted the growing trend of setting up your own personal cloud, investing in a home Network Attached Storage drive with remote access so you can tap into it even when you're away from home. In some people's mind this offers the best of both worlds; the convenience of the cloud but without the ongoing expense or the risk of putting your data in someone else's hands. But what happens if, heaven forbid, your house burns down? Will the fire which claims the computer on your desk magically burn around the network drive on your shelf?

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Don't make the mistake of thinking that disasters only happen to other people. If every copy of your precious files is in your house then you're still at risk of losing everything. When devising your own backup strategy it's worth considering the 3-2-1 rule;

- Keep at least THREE copies of any file which you can't afford to lose.

- Keep them in at least TWO different formats, such as hard drive, memory stick, optical disc, tape or cloud.

- Keep at least ONE copy offsite. If fire, flood or theft claims your home or office, you need another copy safely stored elsewhere.

These days the cloud is the most practical place to keep the offsite copy of your precious files. If you've an aversion to the cloud, make sure you add a different offsite element to your backup regime – even something as simple as burning files to disc and leaving them at a relative's house or in the bottom drawer at work.

If you're a little more organised you might rotate portable hard drives offsite so there's always an up-to-date copy of your files elsewhere. Some cloud storage/sync services like CrashPlan also make it easy to copy backups to another computer away from home.

You can encrypt these offsite backups if you're concerned about security. Just make sure they're not left sitting in your desk drawer at home, where they'll go down with the ship if disaster strikes.

What's the offsite element of your backup strategy? What have you done to help your family and friends who maybe haven't considered the consequences of a data disaster?